Out on the Road Spain with Davey Wavey

Duane Wells — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 06:23:35 +0000

The adventure begins at Barajas Airport in Madrid

Duane Wells and Davey Wavey on a road trip across Spain together for 10 days? That just sounds crazy right? And yet it happened.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe Davey and I as the modern incarnation of the odd couple.

Take for example the fact I am an unabashed clotheshorse who lives to get dressed. The more layers I can wear the better. Even in summer I find it difficult to walk out of the house without a scarf. Davey on the other hand is quite happy to wear a tank top and baseball cap year-round. He doesn’t even like sleeves in winter, which is an absolute mystery to me.

I like luxury hotels and haute cuisine. Davey likes to camp and the taste of foie gras is absolutely abhorrent to him.

I like to stay up all night and party until the small hours. Davey likes to be in bed by 10 so he can be up by 6 for his morning work out.

I could go on and on here, but you get the gist — Davey Wavey and I are very different people. And yet, despite our differences, we’re great friends. So we thought it would be fun to take “our show” on the road in Spain for 10 days.

I planned surprises for Davey as this was his first trip to Spain and he planned surprises for me. The video below, traces the good and the bad, along with the highs and lows of our journey from the Costa del Sol and Granada to Valencia, Costa Brava and Barcelona. It’s not always pretty, and, for the record, I would like to acknowledge that the lighting was doing me no favors, but it’s always fun:

Be sure to like the video (that is, of course, if you do) and if you want more detailed information on each of the places we visited on our road trip, go to: www.theduanewells.com/out-on-the-road-spain.

For more information about Spain, go to: www.spain.info.

And don’t forget to tell us where you’d like to see us go next!

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Out on the Road Spain | Costa del Sol

Duane Wells — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:53:37 +0000

Malaga City Centre

Costa del Sol literally means “Coast of the Sun”, a name which feels quite fitting after spending any time in Málaga, Marbella and Torremolinos, the most popular destinations in this sun-soaked paradise that might best be described as Spain’s answer to Côte d’Azur.

Noted for its temperate climate year-round, Andalusian charms and glamorous inhabitants, the Costa del Sol has become infamous as a playground for the rich and famous but let there be no doubt that it is in fact, first and foremost, a playground and one of the most vibrant and diverse destinations in Spain. From the beaches to the cuisine to the nightlife, Costa del Sol celebrates Spain at its luxuriously laidback best.

Stay

Rooftop Pool, Hotel Vincci Posada del Patio, Malaga

Hotel Vincci Selección Posada del Patio
Pasillo Santa Isabel, 7- 29005
Málaga, Spain
T: +34 951 001 020
E: posadadelpatio@vinccihoteles.com
www.vincciposadadelpatio.com

Modern sophistication and history collide in the heart of Malaga at the chic Hotel Vincci Selección Posada del Patio. Built atop the Old City Walls, the hotel is not only one of the few proper hotels in the historical center of Málaga, it is the only hotel to offer direct access to the aforementioned ancient ruins as an added bonus to a stay at this elegant space. Expect contemporary décor, attentive service, a stunning rooftop pool and proximity to the thriving center of Malaga where the Picasso Museum and the Centre Pompidou are among the cultural highlights, while the city’s bustling tapas restaurants and scintillating nightlife options are but steps away. Finally, do be sure to dine at the hotel’s decidedly upscale Le Diner restaurant where classic Andalusian dishes are prepared with a showman’s sense of innovation and flair.

Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa
Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe 29600
Marbella, Spain
T: +34 952 82 22 11
E: hotel@marbellaclub.com
www.marbellaclub.com

The Marbella Club hotel may, save for the stunning weather and natural accoutrements of its splendid location, be the single most important reason that the Costa del Sol grew from its former existence as a string of sleepy coastal towns into a playground for European royals and their über rich and fabulously famous friends. A clubby property with a noticeably “members only” vibe, this beachfront boutique resort on the Mediterranean boasts 37 guestrooms and 78 elegant suites all swathed in privacy and set in the jasmine-scented subtropical gardens that bear the signature of the hotel’s founder Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Tip: Brunch at the Marbella Club is a spectacular affair not to be missed.

Puente Romano Beach Resort & Spa Marbella
Bulevar Principe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, 29602
Marbella, Málaga, Spain
T: +34 952 82 09 00
E: hotel@puenteromano.com
www.puenteromano.com

Plunked down in the heart of Marbella’s Miracle Mile, the oceanfront Puente Romano Beach Resort & Spa Marbella deserves raves for both the caliber of its luxurious accommodations, which take inspiration from classic Andalusian villages, as well as its stunning beachfront Six Senses Spa complete with a wet area featuring a hydrotherapy pool, a cold plunge pool, heat and ice experience showers with different types of water flow and mood lighting, herbal steam room, sauna and hammam. Also of note are the property’s award-winning botanical gardens and Tennis Club, which has played host to the Nations Seniors Tennis Cup since 2004 in addition to doing double duty as a concert space that has hosted a veritable pantheon of music icons.

Villa Padierna Palace Hotel
Urbanización Los Flamingos Golf, Carretera de Cádiz, Km 166, 29679
Marbella, Málaga, Spain
T: +34 952 88 91 50
E: info@villapadiernapalacehotel.com
www.villapadiernapalacehotel.com

When First Lady Michelle Obama visited Marbella in 2010 amid much fanfare, she chose a stunning villa with 3 floors, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private pool at the Villa Padierna Palace Hotel as her respite from the White House (See Villa “Obama”). And when Antonio Banderas and Eva Longoria teamed up to help showcase the celebrity of Marbella and the Costa del Sol via the annual Starlight Gala, the Villa Padierna Palace Hotel was the venue of choice for the first two editions of the event. In keeping with its name, the Villa Padierna is a grand and palatial property reminiscent of a Tuscan palace. There’s even a Roman amphitheater to compliment the golf courses which are among the hotel’s many selling points.

Play

Puerto Banús
Plaza Antonio Banderas s/n
29660 Puerto Banús, Malaga, Spain
T: +34 952 81 85 70
www.marbellaexclusive.com/puerto-banus

This popular enclave of exclusive shops and upscale eateries dotted around a port embellished with a staggering collection of luxury seafaring vessels is also the nightlife capitol of Marbella. Spend the afternoon lunching and shopping at Puerto Banús and then return after dinner to show off your newly purchased wares and twirl the night away in one of the many local nightspots.

Torremolinos
La Nogalera
Plaza de la Nogalera
Torremolinos, Málaga, Spain
T: 34 952 37 19 09
www.ayto-torremolinos.org (Spanish)
www.visitcostadelsol.com/torremolinos (English)

A more relaxed and decidedly gayer atmosphere awaits in Torremolinos, which is home to a maze of bars and restaurants that have for decades been like mecca to partygoers from all across Europe. In particular, La Nogalera, located in the center of Torremonlinos, is where you’ll find a concentration of gay-friendly establishments like Eden where locals and tourists alike keep the party going well into the early morning hours.

For a sample of what Eden and Torremolinos nightlife has to offer, see below:

https://youtu.be/BpeV4RAQziI

Eat

Skina
Calle de Adúar, 12
29801 Marbella, Málaga
T. +34 952 76 52 77
E: reservas@restauranteskina.com
restauranteskina.com

A tiny restaurant entrenched in the alleys of Old Town Marbella where Chef Jaume Puigdengolas is noted for infusing traditional Andalusian cuisine with a sense of the avant-garde.

Restaurante El Gran Gatsby
Edificio del Mar, Muelle de Honor, s/n, 29660
Marbella, Málaga, Spain
T: +34 951 77 87 97
www.elgrangatsby.com

Located in the iconic Tower at the tip of Puerto Banús, Restaurante El Gran Gatsby boasts extraordinary views of the Mediterranean Sea along with extraordinary outdoor spaces unlike any other in the neighborhood. Meanwhile the menu offers everything from Foie Gras and Lobster Salad to Wagyu Beef and an array of seafood offers, all of which are of course served in the most elegantly subdued environs.

Caléndula
Calle Skal, 6
29620 Torremolinos, Spain
T: +34 659 576 529

Relatively new, this wonderful little tapas restaurant is currently the talk of Torremolinos and rightfully so. Stop in, grab a seat on the patio and enjoy a selection of authentic Andalusian tapas along with many glasses of wine as a preamble to a night out in La Nogalera which is just a short walk away.

See

Centre Pompidou Málaga
Puerto de Málaga, Pasaje Doctor Carrillo Casaux, s/n, Muelle 1
29016 Málaga, Spain
T: +34 951 92 62 00
E: info.centrepompidou@malaga.eu
centrepompidou-malaga.eu

The only offshoot of the Paris’ famed Centre Pompidou to be opened outside of the City of Lights, the Centre Pompidou Málaga is a celebration of contemporary art wrapped in an eye-popping jeweled box designed by Alain Sebban. It is the perfect complement to Malaga’s already esteemed catalogue of museums.

Explore

Picasso Museum Málaga
Palacio de Buenavista, Calle San Agustín, 8
29015 Málaga, Spain
T: +34 952 12 76 00
www.museopicassomalaga.org

It is only fitting that the birthplace of Pablo Picasso should also be the home of one of the most notable collections of his works. Considered one of the most important collections of Picasso’s work, this villa-like museum is, without exception, a must-see on any visit to Málaga.

Marbella Old Town
Plaza De Los Naranjos, Marbella
29601, Málaga, Spain
www.visitcostadelsol.com/marbella-old-town

Before Marbella was a magnet for glamour and titled Europeans, it was essentially a simple fishing village. In the charming, winding corridors of Marbella’s Old Town the historical roots of the Costa del Sol come to life as old meets new. New boutiques and eateries pop up next to centuries old dwellings and religious iconography. The Plaza de Los Naranjos located in the center of town offers one of the best vantage points from which to people watch and enjoy Old Town so allotting time for a coffee or a cool beverage on the often packed terrace is a thing for which one would be highly advised to budget ample time.

Indulge

Doliva
Calle Nueva, 9
29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain
T: +34 952 76 67 44
E: dg@dolivaonline.com
www.dolivaonline.com

Sample some of Spain’s finest and most rare olive oils in this veritable temple of olive oil tucked just a few feet away from the Plaza de Los Naranjos in the heart of Marbella’s Old Town.

More information:

www.visitcostadelsol.com

www.marbellaexclusive.com

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Out on the Road Spain with Davey Wavey

Out on the Road Spain | Costa del Sol